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Friday, 27 December 2013

Hills... Bloody hills!

By Jack HawkinsPhoto: Jack Hawkins

It was time for another day-trip, on the weekend of October
5th. This time, I was headed thirty-five miles west, and into
Bass River and the Upriver Country Market. It was again an early morning start,
up at 8AM however I took the morning slowly – having worked a twelve-hour shift
the night before.

Up and showered and had another oatmeal-tea breakfast
combination before packing just the one pannier for today's trip, since I was
only planning to be out for a few hours and therefore there was no need to pack
a lunch. After a quick trip to the shops for my food for the day – I stocked up
on granola bars and bananas, I was not making that mistake again!

I headed out of Richibucto and into Rexton, turning right
at the Irving gas station, this put on Highway 116, headed west to Bass River.
It was mid-morning and there was a glorious sun climbing into the sky, I
was beginning to get into the swing of the ride, and although it wasn't too
warm – roughly between ten and fifteen degrees, I was enjoying it. Although I
did stop to unpack a long-sleeved top from my pannier and put that on.

Riding along the 116, I found many places of opportunity to
stop, snap a photo and have a granola bar. I was surrounded by glorious autumn
colours, red, yellow, gold – the views across the many creeks that dotted the
route were simply sensational.

I was about halfway there when the inclines began to get
steeper. Ever so slowly rising and while I was in better condition than on my
previous trip, and better nourished – they were still difficult, as I hadn't
quite gotten the hang of the touring bike's gearing yet. According to my
cycling app – MapMyRide, the highest incline was 121 feet!

Tackling hills – at least for me, goes a little something
like this: See the hill, approach the hill, then curse at the realisation that
the hill is monstrous. Then, shift down through the gears at a great rate of
knots as you ascend. All the while wondering why, oh why, there is a damn great
hill breaking up this flat and pristine landscape. And then, as you crest the
hill and you see the serenity of what's below, the sun glistening off the water
in the river... Then you can truly appreciate the climb you've just made.

And so, forever cursing the hills, I chugged on – past the
next couple of churches before I saw a sign that pointed me in the right
direction. I began a steep descent of the last proper hill before reaching my
destination. I hit a whopping 47km/h (27mph) on the way down. Too much speed,
coming about from the adrenaline rush of the day I managed to get control of my
bike, almost losing my balance.

But, I recovered and rode the next few kilometres before
reaching my destination. I reached the Bass River Country Market in about two
hours, went in and parked my bike. I was immediately greeted by my former
Journalism teacher, who I had no idea I would be there, so it was a nice
surprise all round! We chatted for a few minutes and it felt good to speak so
frankly, outside of the school environment. She had a stall of her own where
she sold coffee, tea, and had even set up a couple of “Fender-Blender
Bicycles”. Pedal away for a few seconds, and you've got yourself a smoothie –
how cool is that?!

The market had about ten stalls in total, each selling
something different, from coffee and tea to decorated glassware and crockery.
There was also a nutritionist at the market and we spoke for a while as I had
questions related to healthier and more organic eating. I also met an editor
from the Halifax Media Co-op and we spoke in depth about my touring plans for
the next year. All in all, the atmosphere in the small barn was warm and
welcoming, and although I was by no means a market regular, I shall certainly
be taking trips up next summer.

Unfortunately for me, I arrived with only half an hour to
spare before the market was due to pack up and everyone headed for home. So, I
didn't get much time to hang around, and so, I'd originally planned to go and
see a friend in Bass River – which I thought was only about ten, fifteen
kilometres from the market... No trouble, I thought.

However, as I've discovered with my day-trips thus far –
things rarely go according to plan. The journey to see my friend began brightly
and I was excited to get there and relax a bit. Then, disastrously, the weather
took a turn for the worst. Thick, dark, rain-filled clouds began to appear, and
not wanting to get drenched – I reluctantly turned for home. Apologizing to my
friend, I began the journey home.

The route home was the same one as the route up – although
it was much easier. I'm not sure whether I was prepared for the hills this
time, or whether it was just my body wanting to get home before the rain hit,
it seemed to fly by. I reached home in an hour and fifteen minutes – where had
that forty-five minutes gone?

I was grateful to be home and warm, the colder weather
served as a reminder that any further trips out on my bike for the day, would
have to wait until the Spring of 2014.